CompTIA Project+ Study Guide Authorized Courseware: Exam PK0-003

Editorial Reviews. From the Back Cover. Prepare for CompTIA's new Project+ exam! Take an CompTIA Project+ Study Guide Authorized Courseware: Exam PK - Kindle edition by Kim Heldman, William Heldman. Download it once and.
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CompTIA has not reviewed or approved the accuracy of the contents of this training material and specifically disclaims any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. How to become CompTIA certified: This training material can help you prepare for and pass a related CompTIA certification exam or exams. In order to become CompTIA certified, you must: Select a certification exam provider.

For more information please visit http: Register for and schedule a time to take the CompTIA certification exam s at a convenient location. Read and sign the Candidate Agreement, which will be presented as the time of the exam s.

CompTIA Project+ Study Guide Authorized Courseware: Exam PK0-003

The text of the Candidate Agreement can be found at http: Take and pass the CompTIA certification exam s. Each CompTIA certification is vendor-neutral, covers multiple technologies and requires demonstration of skills and knowledge widely sought after by the IT industry. This book is part of a family of premium-quality Sybex books, all of which are written by outstanding authors who combine practical experience with a gift for teaching. Sybex was founded in From the paper we print on to the authors we work with, our goal is to bring you the best books available.

I hope you see all that reflected in these pages. Customer feedback is critical to our efforts at Sybex. We believe this book is a good introduction to the in-depth world of project management and certification and will open up many opportunities for you. We would like to thank all the great team members at Sybex who were part of this project: Jeff Kellum, acquisitions editor; Alexa Murphy, development editor; Rachel McConlogue, production editor; and all those behind the scenes who helped make this book a success. They are terrific to work with, as always, and we appreciate their keen eyes and insightful ideas and suggestions.

Special thanks goes to Vanina Mangano for her work as technical editor. We appreciate her diligence and great suggestions that helped make the content stronger. Thank you to Jared Rundell as well for providing the fi nal technical review.

CompTIA Project+ Study Guide: Exam PK - PDF Free Download

And a thank-you, as always, goes to our family for their understanding of our crazy schedules. Kim is responsible for managing projects with information technology IT components ranging from small in scope and budget to multimillion-dollar, multiyear projects. She has more than 20 years experience in IT project management. Kim has served in a senior leadership role for more than 12 years and is regarded as a strategic visionary with an innate ability to collaborate with diverse groups and organizations, instill hope, improve morale, and lead her teams in achieving goals they never thought possible.

Kim has extensive experience in the government sector managing projects of various size and scope. In addition to her project management experience, Kim also has experience managing application development, web development, network operations, infrastructure, security, and customer service teams. Kim has also published several articles and is currently working on a leadership book.

Kim writes on project management best-practices and leadership topics, and she speaks frequently at conferences and events. You can find more information about Warren Tech at www. Prior to becoming a schoolteacher, Bill had a long career in information technology with progressively responsible positions.

Thanks to the volatility of the IT marketplace read: In addition to teaching school, Bill is working on new ideas for digital-technology academies and game-programming camps and pursuing his PhD in educational leadership and educational technology. Or the Eiffel Tower?

How did someone have the organizational skills to put all those people together and create such magnificent structures?


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Coming forward to recent times — how is Microsoft capable of putting together the literally millions of lines of code that became Windows Server ? The answer to all of these is project management. There are several project management methodologies you can follow, each with their own processes and procedures, but at the foundation of each one is sound project management principles and techniques. We should also mention that both of our backgrounds are fi rmly rooted in IT, and many of our examples are drawn from real-life experiences. This book and this test only touch the surface of project management techniques.

The exam is designed to test your knowledge of a concept or objective, so use this book to learn the objective behind the question. This is a test designed to quiz you on your understanding of the guts of a PC and its associated connection to a network. But there are other tests as well: Certification in project management has increasingly become a requirement for those interested in full-time careers in this field. It improves your credibility with stakeholders and customers. Becoming certified demonstrates your intent to learn the processes associated with project management and provides you with opportunities for positions and advancements that may not otherwise be possible.

Demonstrates proof of professional achievement Certification demonstrates to current and potential employers that you are knowledgeable and well grounded in project management practices and have taken the initiative to prove your knowledge in this area. People who study and pass certification tests prove, if nothing else, that they have the tenacity to get through a difficult subject and to prove their understanding by testing on the subject.

This study guide follows the principles and processes outlined by PMI and is a great introduction to its certifications. Then go to the CompTIA website www. You can fi nd links to both of them at www. See the website for details regarding the price of the exam. Prices and testing centers are subject to change at any time. No calculators, computers, cell phones, or other electronic devices are allowed in the testing area. Who Should Buy This Book? At the beginning of the book right after this introduction is an assessment test.

Take this exam before you start reading the book. It will help you determine the areas you understand well and the areas where you may need more study. The answers to the Assessment test questions are on a separate page after the last question of the test. Each answer also includes an explanation and a note telling you where this material appears. As you finish each chapter, answer the review questions, and then check your work—the correct answers appear on the page following the last review question.

We used this same format for all the questions and practice exams in this study guide. Take these exams just as if you were actually taking the exams that is, without any reference material. When you have fi nished the fi rst exam, move on to solidify your test-taking skills with the second exam. Download them right onto your handheld device for quick and convenient reviewing. The majority of the examples used to demonstrate practical application of the material in this book focus on IT projects, because IT project managers were the original target audience for this exam.

However, the techniques and concepts discussed in this book are not limited to IT projects. The information discussed in this book can be applied to projects in any industry. The other can be a major credit card or a passport. Both forms must have a signature. Arrive early at the exam center so you can relax and review your study materials, particularly tables and lists of exam-related information. Read the questions carefully. Make sure you know exactly what the question is asking. Unanswered questions are scored against you. There will be questions with multiple correct responses.

This will improve your odds if you need to make an educated guess. For the latest pricing on the exam and updates to the registration procedures, refer to the CompTIA site at www. The Exam Objectives Behind every certification exam, there are exam objectives. The objectives are competency areas that cover specific topics of project management. The introduction section of each chapter in this book lists the objectives that are discussed in the chapter. The following is a breakdown of the domains and their representation in the exam. Which of these terms describes a critical path task?

When you want a certain individual to work on your project team 3. As a conflict-resolution technique with the team D. Weighted scoring model 4.

Product details

SOW From the following list of options, select three of the five common stages of development that cohesive project teams progress through. In this organizational structure, you report to the director of project management, and your team members report to their areas of responsibility accounting, human resources, and IT. Which type of organization does this describe?

Projectized Assessment Test 6. EVM Which of the following describes the responsibilities of the project sponsor? Provides or obtains financial resources 8. Monitors the delivery of major milestones C. Runs interference and removes roadblocks D. Provides the project manager with authority to manage the project E.

All of the above Project managers may spend up to 90 percent of their time doing which of the following? Interacting with the project stakeholders 9. Interacting with the project sponsor C. Interacting with the project team members D. Communicating This type of estimate is predicated on historical data and expert judgment. Top - down B. Which of these is not an example of a project selection method? Top - down estimating D. The change has been approved by the change control board CCB. What steps must you take to acknowledge the expansion? Modify the project scope statement. Modify the project charter document.

Obtain a new sign- off on the project scope statement. Obtain a new sign- off on the project charter document. Assessment Test xxiv Some team members on your team are driving each other crazy. They have different ways of organizing the tasks they are both assigned to, and the disparity in styles is causing them to bicker. Which of the following describes this situation? This is a situation the project manager should resolve as soon as possible. This should be escalated to the project sponsor. This is a common cause of conflict. This is a team formation stage that will pass as they get to know each other better.

Ishikawa diagrams, Pareto diagrams, trend analysis, flowcharts, statistical sampling, and run charts are tools and techniques used in which process? Risk Monitoring and Control B. Project close report B. This document authorizes the project to begin. Project scope statement Project sign- off document When should you seek recommendations from the sponsor to either kill a project or come up with alternative strategies? When costs far outreach the budgeted amount that the project was originally given B. When an activity is insurmountable C.

When the elapsed time used for one or more tasks far exceeds time estimates D. When the enthusiasm of the project sponsor wanes Assessment Test xxv This process defines what people or groups need information regarding the project, when the information should be distributed, how often it should be distributed, and the format it should be delivered in.

This type of analysis is performed during procurement planning to determine cost effectiveness. What is one important step that new project managers might overlook when faced with a possible scope change? Telling the customer no B. Determining an alternative solution C. Communicating with the CCB What signals the end of the Planning phase? The project team begins to execute the tasks in the project plan. The project scope document is formally signed. The vendor delivers the materials, equipment, or supplies. The project management plan is approved and signed.

Work breakdown structure WBS C. Scope management plan D. Which cost- estimating technique relies on estimating work packages and then rolling up these estimates to come up with a total cost estimate? Analogous Assessment Test xxvi In project management, the process of taking high-level project requirements and breaking them down into the tasks that will generate the deliverables is called what? All of the following represent a category of contract most commonly used in procurement except for which one? Fixed-price plus incentive A well-written change control process should include which of the following components?

A description of the type of change requested B. The amount of time the change will take to implement C. The cost of the change D. How to update the affected project planning documents E. The stages at which changes are accepted Your project sponsor has lost interest in the current project and has focused all their attention on a new project.

The equipment originally intended for your project has been redistributed to other parts of the organization. What type of project ending does this describe? All of the following are true regarding CPI except for which one? Performance indexes are primarily used to calculate performance efficiencies. Assessment Test xxvii Risk analysis includes all of the following except for which one? Qualitative risk analysis B. Quantitative risk analysis C. Avoid, transfer, mitigate, and accept D. Probability and impact Which of the following are project management process groups?

When taking over an incomplete project, what item should be of most interest to the new project manager? Project concept document B. Project scope document D. All of the following describe the purpose for the Distribute Information process except for which one? This is where the communications management plan is put into action. Information may take the form of status reports, project meetings, and so on. Lessons learned and feedback are gathered from the stakeholders. Barriers such as cultural differences, geographical locations, and technology should be taken into account when administering this process.

You are performing the Close Procurements process and have just verified that the work completed on contract is not accurate and does not meet with your satisfaction. What procedure did you use to determine this? Product verification xxviii Assessment Test What key meeting is held at the beginning of the Executing processes? Project status meeting What is the best way to prevent scope creep? Make sure the requirements are thoroughly defined and documented. Alert the sponsor that you will not be taking any change requests after the project starts.

Inform stakeholders when they sign the project scope statement that no changes will be accepted after the scope statement is published. Which of these statements describes an assumption? Our most senior web developer will be available to work on this project. The electrical capacity at the site of the project event may not be adequate. Your subject matter expert tells you that her most likely estimate is 40 hours, her pessimistic estimate is 65 hours, and her optimistic estimate is 24 hours.

What is the final three-point estimate? This is the final, approved version of the project schedule. All of the following are true regarding this term except for which of the following? It will prevent future schedule risk. This describes a schedule baseline. What are the two types of charts that you might utilize to display the project schedule? Histogram Assessment Test xxix All of the following describe types of project endings except for which one? The project kick- off meeting should ideally occur when?

After the project scope statement is completed B. Once the scope management plan is approved C. Before you begin creating the WBS D. After the project charter is signed This element of the Executing process group encompasses standards compliance, internal process compliance, decision oversight, and phase gate approvals. Goals and objectives C. The network communication model is a visual depiction of what? Lines of communication B. Participant communication model Select the component that is not a member of the Planning process group. Risk response development D.

Risk control Assessment Test xxx Which of the following is not a true statement about cost estimating? Cost estimates are provided by team members. Cost estimates make up the project budget. Cost estimates have a quality factor built into them. You should average all cost estimates.

You prepare closure documents and take them to the project sponsor for sign- off. The project sponsor says that the documents are not needed because the project is so small. What should you tell the sponsor? The sponsor is the one who needs to sign off on the documents, showing that the project is officially closed. You offer to sign off on the documents yourself. This EVM figure represents the value of the work completed to date compared to the budget. For more information, please see Chapter 4.

The same is true for option D in that the procurement planning and negotiating would have taken place during Planning. Adjusting tasks would have also occurred during Planning or could potentially occur as the result of change requests during the Controlling processes. Negotiating in Executing is used as a confl ict-resolution technique. For more information, please see Chapter 7. A weighted scoring model is a tool that weights evaluation criteria and provides a way to score vendor responses.

For more information, please see Chapter 5. The five stages of team development are forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning. For more information, please see Chapter 8. This describes a strong matrix organization because the project manager works in a division whose sole responsibility is project management, and once the team members are assigned to the project, the project manager has the authority to hold them accountable to their tasks and activities. For more information, please see Chapter 1. Acceptance criteria describe how to determine whether the deliverables are complete and meet the requirements of the project.

For more information, please see Chapter 3. A project sponsor is responsible for obtaining fi nancial resources for the project, monitoring the progress of the project, and handling escalations from the project manager. For more information, please see Chapter 2. Project managers may spend up to 90 percent of their time communicating. A top - down estimate relies on historical data and expert judgment. For more information, please see Chapter 6.

Cost-benefit analysis, expert judgment, and scoring are all project selection techniques. Top-down estimating is a type of cost estimating. This situation describes varying work styles that are a common cause of confl ict. Competing resource demands and expert judgment are also common causes of conflict. And issues like this should almost never have to be escalated to the project sponsor. Quality Control concerns reviewing project results and determining whether they comply with the standards documented in the quality management plan.

This process uses several tools and techniques, as stated in the question. For more information, please see Chapter 9. Lessons learned are included in the project close report, the post-mortem report, and the post-project review. For more information, please see Chapter The project charter authorizes the project to begin.

Communications planning defi nes the type of information, frequency, format, and method of distribution the project stakeholders require during the course of the project. Make- or-buy analysis is performed during procurement planning to determine the cost- effectiveness of either making the goods and services in-house or procuring them from an outside vendor.

When faced with the possibility of a scope change, the project manager should determine whether there are alternatives that would lessen the impact of the proposed change. For more information, please see Chapters 8. The WBS is a deliverables- oriented hierarchy that defi nes all the project work and is completed after the scope management plan and scope statement are completed. The bottom-up cost- estimating method is the most precise because you begin your estimating at the activities in the work package and roll them up for a total estimate. Decomposition is the process of analyzing the requirements of the project in such a way that you reduce the requirements down to the steps and tasks needed to produce them.

Answers to Assessment Test xxxiii The project manager assembles the team members for the project. The project manager may get input from the sponsor, stakeholders, or customers, but it is the project manager who decides what the formation of the team should be. The three categories of contracts most often used to procure goods and services are time-and-materials, cost-reimbursable, and fi xed-price. Fixed-price plus incentive is a type of cost-reimbursable contract.

The amount of time and money a change will require are outcomes of a change control process, not inputs to the process.

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Integration occurs when resources are distributed to other areas of the organization, and addition occurs when projects evolve into ongoing operations. Starvation is a project ending caused by resources being cut off from the project. Extinction occurs when the project work is completed and is accepted by the stakeholders. Avoid, transfer, mitigate, and accept are negative risk strategies used in the risk response process.

Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring and Controlling, and Closing are the five project management process groups. The scope statement describes the product description, key deliverables, success and acceptance criteria, key performance indicators, exclusions, assumptions, and constraints. Barriers such as cultural differences, geographical locations, and technology, along with time zones and hierarchical barriers, are taken into account when managing project teams. Product verification determines whether the work of the contract was completed accurately and satisfactorily.

Scope verification is performed for project work that is produced by the internal project team not performed on contract , and the post-project review is performed at the end of the project to capture lessons learned. The project kickoff meeting is held at the beginning of the Executing process group and serves to introduce team members, review the goals and objectives of the project, review stakeholder expectations, and review roles and responsibilities for team members.

Assumptions are those things we believe to be true. Options B and D describe risks, while option C describes a constraint. Three-point estimates are an average of the most likely, pessimistic, and optimistic estimates. The schedule baseline is the fi nal, approved version of the schedule and is signed by the stakeholders, sponsor, and functional managers.

Having a schedule baseline will not prevent future schedule risk. Gantt charts and milestone charts are the most commonly used formats to display a project schedule. The project kick-off meeting should be held after the project charter is signed and ideally before the project scope statement is written. Organizational governance includes standards compliance, internal process compliance, decision oversight, and phase gate approval.

Goals and objectives are specific and measurable. Project descriptions describe the key characteristics of the product, service, or result of the project. The project description describes the project as a whole and milestones describe major deliverable or accomplishments for the project.

Lines of communication describe how many lines of communication exist between participants. The network communication model is a visual depiction of the lines of communication. Risk identification, quantification, and risk response development occur in the Planning process of the project. Risk control occurs in the Monitoring and Controlling process group. AC represents the actual costs expended during a given time period for the completed work.

Cost estimates do not make up the project budget; they act as an input to the budget. The sponsor is the one who must sign off on the completion of the project, whether successful or unsuccessful. EV is the earned value and represents the value of the work completed to date compared to the budget. Certification is becoming more important for project managers, and many employers look for real-life experience and evidence of formal education, as well as project management certification from job applicants. We will include tips on how to prepare for the exam, as well as examples and realworld scenarios to illustrate the concepts.

This chapter will cover the defi nitions and characteristics of a project, a high-level overview of project management, how organizations are structured, and pre-project setup. Defining the Project Projects exist to bring about or fulfill the goals of the organization.

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Most projects benefit from the application of a set of processes and standards known as project management. Projects involve a team of people, and so do day-to-day business activities. They both involve following a process or a plan, and they both result in activities that help reach a goal. So, what is so different about a project? Identifying the Project and Pre-project Setup A project is a temporary endeavor that has defi nite beginning and ending dates, and it results in a unique product, service, or result.

Projects are considered a success when the goals they set out to accomplish are fulfilled and the stakeholders are satisfied with the results. Projects also bring about a product, service, or result that never existed before. This may include creating tangible goods, implementing software, writing a book, planning and executing an employee appreciation event, and more.

There is no limit to what can be considered a project as long as it fits the following criteria: Defining the Project 3 Unique A project is typically undertaken to meet a specific business objective. It involves doing something new, which means that the end result should be a unique product or service.

These products may be marketed to others, may be used internally, may provide support for ongoing operations, and so on. Temporary Projects have defi nite start and end dates. The time it takes to complete the work of the project can vary in overall length from a few weeks to several years, but there is always a start date and an end date. Resources and quality According to CompTIA, the characteristics of a project include assigning resources to complete the work of the project and assuring the results of the project meet the quality standards outlined in the project plan.

A project ends when those goals have been met to the satisfaction of the stakeholders. Identifying the project is the fi rst step in the pre-project setup. Chapter 9 Controlling the Project. Chapter 10 Closing the Project. To access the free downloadable files, please login or register by clicking the following URL. Register or Login Now After you have registered and downloaded your Sybex product's zip file, follow these steps: Unzip the downloaded file on your Windows or Mac computer. Unzip the Windows or Mac zip file and click on start.

Read through the license agreement, and then click the Accept button to browse the contents. If you experience trouble with the start. If this happens, please follow these steps: Open Safari and navigate to Preferences. Click on the "General" tab. The study guide as a whole was awesome as well. Overall, very very good study guide. I passed my test using this and a couple of other study guides on Amazon. One person found this helpful. Best plan of action, read through the guide cover to cover, then go back and create your own note cards of the different steps, processes and formula There's a great deal of memory work as well as synthesis and applying knowledge on the exam.

Create a study plan and timeline!

CompTIA Project+ Study Guide Authorized Courseware: Exam PK0–003

Last two weeks if not more before your exam date, do nothing but take the practice exams, until you're scores are in the 80's. Check out quizlet for extra study resources. I used this book as well as some youtube videos to pass. This book was my main reference through most of it. The practice tests included were possibly my most valuable tools in making sure I was ready for the exam.

If you are familiar with self-study using guides like this, you know it's not a riveting novel. The information it contains should be sufficient for many to pass the exam with. I'd still recommend using a video series if possible. I passed my exam with a decent score my first try. The one I used has been removed, or I'd link it in here. The concepts are not hard, but there is a lot of information to absorb.

Take your time and learn it all. Not SAT level hard, but pretty hard. This book helped me tame it. Read it completely through and then start taking the practice tests found on the CD. The best part is the test questions on the CD are very similar to how the questions on the tests are structured so you walk in prepared. The chapters are in an order that builds upon the last so you're always learning new things while progressing your knowledge of what you learned in the previous chapter.

As is the case with most of these certification books, I feel like there could have been more accurate and detailed sample questions.


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    7. The difference between the questions in this book and on the actual exam differ quite a bit. For example, the exam will present a very specific scenario instead of asking general questions like the book. I can't complain too much because, in the end, the book helped me achieve my certification. The book is fairly short and I was able to read, study, and pass the exam within a week or receiving the book.

    The choices for books on the PK exam were somewhat limited; and although this book had a limited number of reviews, I chose this book because of the reviews I read. I have had some formal project management training, so I was familiar with the topics. The book was a bit dry but definitely had all of the material needed to pass the exam.

    I recommend reviewing all of the practice questions until you fully understand them. See all reviews. Most recent customer reviews. Published 26 days ago. Published 11 months ago. Published 1 year ago.